Once Upon A December
by Zane's Girl- Jo
Summary: Her long, slender, emerald fingers rested among the sea of deep amythest, the ring on her finger sparkling in the light, as the last notes of the lullaby- like the spirits it conjured- faded into the mist. AU.


**Once Upon A December**

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**A/N: I got bored, so I listened to the Anastasia soundtrack, and I decided to do a fic with this song. **

**A/N: Little to no dialogue....okay, dialogue, but at the very end...... **

**A/N: The couple is going to be easy to guess......**

_Dancing bears,  
Painted wings,  
Things I almost remember,  
And a song someone sings  
Once upon a December._

The song her mother used to sing to her rang in her head, as she walked to the landing of the stairs leading to the ballroom. Her mother was experienced in these types of affairs; she had grown up as the daughter of the Eminent Thropp. She herself was tied to the Ozma line, from centuries past. And it was her side of the Ozma line that the legend was tied too.

The last family to rule as Eminent Thropp had met an untimely end. They had ruled for years, with the people of what was now the Emerald City and Munchkinland happy. Although, twenty years after a successful reign, the people revolted, topling the royal family, and imprisoning them in a small cottage on the outskirts of the country. Late on the evening of July 17-18th, they were led down to cellar, lined against the far wall, and executed at gunpoint. When the bullets failed to kill them, the assassins attacked with bayonets and knives, stabbing the remaining members of the family and their servants. Thirteen people died that night........

....or so it was thought.

In actuality, one of the daughters- Katila, the third oldest of the five children- four of which were daughters, survived the massacre, and when her family was carted to a shallow grave later that night, one of the officers discovered her secret and took pity on her, removing her from the cart and skirting her away into the mist, like a fairytale. The kingdom was split, now becoming The Emerald City and Munchkinland, respectively. Centuries later, the remains of the twelve members of the family were discovered. Katila and her fate faded into the mist of legend and myth, and no one knew what really happened to the young princess.

_Someone holds me safe and warm.  
Horses prance through a silver storm.  
Figures dancing gracefully  
Across my memory..._

Taking a deep breath, she gathered her gown in her hands, and took her first tentative steps down the stairs, towards the guests. They stood and watched, as the young woman in the beautiful, dark purple ball gown, made her way down the stairs towards them. Her long, ebony hair was swept up in a gorgeous, elaborate style, small curls clinging to her forehead and cheeks. Her makeup was done in dark purples, and she wore a pair of black heels, which made walking down the stairs to the ballroom the slightest bit difficult.

Her eyes shifted among the guests; she saw dramatic Crope and comedic Tibbet, shy Boq and sweet, kind Milla, handsome Avaric, and Nessa, in her eerie beauty. She caught Glinda's eye, and the blonde smiled at her friend, bouncing on the balls of her feet, the skirt of her light blue gown swaying gently. She smiled at the blonde, before her eyes landed on the young man waiting at the bottom of the stairs, a smile on his face. She broke into a grin, and held out her hand, which he took, kissing before leading her onto the dance floor.

_Someone holds me safe and warm  
Horses prance through a silver storm.  
Figures dancing gracefully  
Across my memory..._

The waltz started, the tune familiar; it was the lullaby her mother had sung to her as a child. She closed her eyes, and for a moment, she was in her mother's arms, a little girl again, the sound of her mother's voice ringing in her ears. For a moment, her mother was holding her close, she could feel her mother's hair on her cheek, smell the lily perfume she wore. When she opened her eyes, she was back in the ballroom, among those who came to celebrate the return of the Thropps to the throne.

Longing filled her heart, longing to be in the Vinkus, with her lover. She longed to rule the Vinkus with him, to dance at their coronation, to wear the traditonal Vinkun robes, to dance to the cheery music of the Vinkun tribes. She longed to take the title of Queen, not that of Eminence. Instead, she wore the stiff gowns of Munchkinland, went through the tiring ordeal of accepting the position, suffered through the stiffling crowd of diplomats and weathlthy there to wish her well.

_Far away, long ago,  
Glowing dim as an ember,  
Things my heart  
Used to know,  
Things it yearns to remember..._

Soon, the guests joined in the dance, women in silk and jewels and men in suits and ties swirling around the ballroom. They danced gracefully across the ground, their feet seeming to glide above the dance floor, as if they had just stepped out of the tapestries hanging from the walls. For a moment, it was as if the ghosts of centuries past were taking part in celebrating the return of the Eminent Thropp. She could almost see Santiva, Tekeya, Grea, and Katila among the crowd, waltzing with handsome officers of the guard. For a moment, she saw Melena, in all her beauty, in the arms of a count or duke; flirting with an officer. She caught Melena's eye, and the young girl smiled, curtsying low, before being swept away into the glittering sea of precious stones, her laugh ringing through the expansive ballroom.

The guests danced with the spirits of centuries past, with former rulers. They danced with ghostly princes and princesses, long forgotten duchesses and dukes. They followed in the footsteps of those before them, their feet following in the same waltzes, their souls blending with those of long dead royalty. She gave her partner a small smile, before her laugh rang through the room, echoing that of Melena, who, years before her, had taken part in the same thing.

She smiled, resting her forehead against his briefly, before allowing him to twirl her, and pull her back in. It wasn't until they fell once again into the steady rhythm of the waltz, that she asked what had been on her mind for years.

"Would you rule by my side? As my king, my consort? My Tsar?"

Her eyes met his with apprehension, and he smiled at her.

"I would do anything for you, my queen. My Tsarina."

They shared a passionate kiss, before she wrapped her arms around him, resting her head on his shoulder. Her eyes met Melena's, Santiva's, Tekeya's. She saw Grea stop and nod, and Katila curtsy low. She nodded slightly to them, before pulling away from him. The guests had stopped dancing, entranced by the young Eminence and her lover. She saw the others, her mother and ancestors over his shoulder, and nodded, her hand in his, before she let go, gathered her skirt, and curtsied, sinking to the floor, her skirts pooling around her, the tiara inn her ebony curls glistening in the lights from the ball room. She lowered her head, out of respect for those who had held the title before her, and for her love.

Her long, slender, emerald fingers rested among the sea of deep amythest, the ring on her finger sparkling in the light, as the last notes of the lullaby- like the spirits it conjured- faded into the mist.

_And a song  
Someone sings  
Once upon a December_


End file.
